Network devices often include address tables to facilitate the routing of data over networks. Such address tables are typically implemented with large numbers of address entries, often in the tens of thousands. In order to ensure accurate and efficient data routing, address table configurations may be updated to reflect changes to the address entries. However, managing the configuration of the address tables can be difficult for administrators due to the large numbers of address entries.
Configuration management is especially complex for implementations with multiple network devices, as each network device may include one or more address tables with many associated address entries. For example, if an administrator desires to change all instances of a particular address entry stored in multiple tables, the administrator may search each address table on each managed device for the affected entry. The time required for this search is proportional to the total number of address entries in all of the tables. Furthermore, this search must be repeated each time an address entry is changed.
In addition, conventional approaches to network device configuration management generally require administrators to manually perform redundant configuration tasks on multiple network devices, thereby increasing the possibility of user error. In particular, repeating the same configuration updates on multiple network devices can be a time consuming, error prone, and inefficient process.
Configuration management of network devices is further complicated where administrators seek to roll back configuration changes previously deployed on multiple network devices. Generally, administrators are forced to undo such changes manually one device at a time or run an appropriate script to perform the task. Roll back operations can become especially difficult in cases where an administrator seeks to undo multiple configuration changes on multiple devices. In such cases, administrators are often forced to analyze the configuration of individual devices and back off configuration changes on a device-by-device basis. Such an approach can similarly be very time consuming, error prone, and inefficient.
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